The official blog for missing Utah mom Susan Cox Powell.

Police Wrap Up 12-Day Search of Utah’s West Desert

The West Valley City Police Department, along with help and volunteers from eight other Utah counties, spent 12 days searching Utah’s remote desert areas around Topaz Mountain near Delta, Utah. The search officially began on Tuesday, September 13.

On Wednesday (day 2) they discovered an area that appeared to be some type of “shallow grave.” 11 cadaver dogs “hit” on this area, indicating that some type of human remains was buried there.

Police brought in an anthropologist to see if the area was an old burial site—possibly a pioneer, or maybe Native American. The anthropologist said the site was more recent: probably anywhere from the past 2 months to 10 years.

Police began excavating the site, with a forensics team carefully sifting through each shovelful of dirt for any type of suspicious matter. By late Saturday afternoon, they discovered what the dogs were interested in: approximately 100 pieces of charred wood ranging in size from dimes to golf balls. This wood was buried about 2 1/2 feet below the surface. The wood pieces were sent to a forensic lab for analysis.

The search continued on Sunday with help from 5 Utah counties…personnel and search and rescue (SAR) teams on foot, ATV, horseback, plane and helicopter scoured the desert in specific grid patterns, looking for any sign of Susan Cox Powell.

The search officially ended on Friday, September 23. Police found various items of clothing, which were photographed and sent to labs for analysis. They said the search was “successful” and “accomplished what [they] set out to do.”

Susan’s family and friends want the West Valley Police Department, the SAR personnel, the volunteers, the horseback riders, the pilots, the cadaver dogs and their handlers and everyone who was involved in this search to know how deeply grateful we all are for their determination to find Susan. We have full confidence that the WVPD will find Susan, solve this case, and bring us the answers we so desperately need.